Secrets & Whispers
by visionsofmangos
Summary: Annie's made her choice. Now it's Auggie's turn. Tag to 2.10.


Usually, Annie knew, Auggie could find his way around just fine; but the crowd was especially dense today at the baseball game, so Annie grabbed his hand without even thinking about it. As soon as she realized what she'd done, she winced and let go.

"Sorry," she said awkwardly.

The side of Auggie's mouth twitched in what could almost be considered a smile. Something was bothering him, but he wasn't about to let it show. "It's fine," he replied, rather absent-mindedly reaching for the hand she'd withdrawn. "I don't mind. Besides, it's nice to know where you are."

Annie blushed. "Yeah, I'd want to keep close track of me, too, after what happened the past couple days. It's not every day you get kidnapped by the Belarusian secret police, you know."

"It is in our field of work," Auggie teased, "especially for you, it seems. You have a way of finding trouble wherever you go."

"Maybe," Annie argued, "but it's not like it's always my fault. To be honest, I—"

"Ah," Auggie interrupted, "while we're on the subject of honesty, how'd it go with reading your sister in?"

Annie deflated. "It went… okay, I guess. She's angry, which I guess I should have expected. And she wants me to move out. That's going to be the hardest part, I think. I'm going to miss Danielle and the girls. I just wish she could understand; I didn't _want _to keep this all a secret from her, but…"

"Annie." Auggie stopped walking to look at her, or as close as he could get, anyway. The man had remarkable accuracy for someone who couldn't see. "You were not wrong to keep your job a secret from Danielle. You wanted to protect her. She _will _see the truth in that eventually."

"But how do you know that?" Annie asked, a little desperately.

"Two reasons. One, she's your sister, and she loves you. And two…" Auggie started walking again. "Two, I know everything. When are you going to learn?"

Annie laughed. "I never doubted you, Auggie."

Instead of responding, he cocked his head a little to the side, apparently listening to something.

"What?" Annie asked nervously. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Nah," he answered quickly. "It's nothing."

"Auggie. Please. I know you better than that. What did you hear?"

He sighed. "Fine. You see those girls over there?" He nodded in the direction of two girls, one blonde and one redhead, huddled together and giggling.

"Yeah…"

"Good, because I don't," he joked.

"Auggie!"

"Hey, that was funny!" he protested. Annie was losing her patience. "But if you insist. They were merely observing that we looked, as they put it, 'adorable' holding hands. They also commented on how 'whipped' I must be to let you drag me around like this."

Annie covered her mouth with her free hand, embarrassed. "They said that?"

"More or less. Does that bother you?"

"Well, no, but… Does it bother _you_? I mean, you're a grown man, you're perfectly capable of navigating your own way around a baseball stadium…"

"Annie, I _really _don't care. And like I said before, I like to know where you are. As long as you don't think Dr. Scott would mind…" He let that hang there for a moment.

Annie groaned. "Danielle told you? About Scott?"

"Yes, she told me. And may I ask, why did I have to find out about your relationship from your sister? Were you ever planning to tell me?"

"Yeah, of course, but things were so up and down at first, and then, well, you know, _secrets_…" She exhaled loudly. "The job becomes a part of you, you know that. Keeping secrets gets to be second nature."

"Which is all well and good, Annie, but I did rather think you would tell me you were dating someone. I am your friend, you know. You don't need to keep secrets from me," he added seriously.

"You _are _my friend, Auggie. My best friend," Annie promised. Auggie flinched, but she pretended not to notice. "Actually, I guess now would be as good a time as any to tell you… We broke up, actually. Just earlier today."

Auggie was quiet for a minute.

"Auggie?" Annie asked tentatively. "What's going on in that brain of yours?"

"Look, Annie," he said finally. "I know this probably isn't the greatest time, but all this talk about secrets has got me thinking. And honestly, this is a secret I'm done keeping. I care about you, Annie. More than I should. And not… not as a friend, either. I think… I think you're amazing, Annie, and you're smart, and you're brave, and you're funny, and you're beautiful – and before you say I couldn't possibly know that, well, _don't_, because I know you, and I know that there is no way that a woman as incredibly strong yet compassionate as you could be anything less than stunning. I just need you to know that, how I feel about you. I'd say I hope this doesn't change anything between us, but honestly, I do. I hope everything changes, but I'm willing to give it time. As much time as you need, Annie."

Annie's mouth hung in a shocked, silent "O". She had no idea how to respond to what Auggie had just admitted. What did a woman say to something like that?

"Right now," Auggie said at last, "we've got a baseball game to watch." So they sat, Annie still tentatively holding his hand, unsure what to say but knowing that whatever happened, she could never go back to the way things were before this moment.

And she wasn't sure she wanted to.


End file.
